1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector and to a method for assembling a connector so that a connection detecting function may be performed.
2. Description of the Related Art
A connector with a connection detecting function is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,802 and also is shown in FIG. 9 herein. The connector includes a female housing 1 that can be connected to a male housing 2. The female housing 1 has a lock arm 3 that can be engaged with the male housing 2 to hold the housings 1, 2 in their connected condition. A slider 4 is mounted in the male housing 2 and a coil spring 5 is disposed between the rear wall of the male housing 2 and the slider 4 for urging the slider 4 forwardly. The lock arm 3 is deformed resiliently while the housings 1, 2 are being connected and the deformed lock arm 3 pushes the slider 4 against a biasing force of the coil spring 5. The lock arm 3 is restored resiliently to its original shape when the housings 1, 2 are connected properly. This resilient restoration causes the lock arm 3 to engage the male housing 2 and to separate from the slider 4. Thus, the housings are locked together and the slider 4 is returned to its initial position by the biasing force of the coil spring 5.
Connection of the housings 1, 2 may be interrupted when the housings 1, 2 are connected only partially. In this situation, the biasing force of the coil spring 5 pushes the slider 4 and urges the lock arm 3 back to separate the housings 1, 2 from each other. This separating movement provides an indication that the housings 1, 2 were left partly connected.
The housings 1, 2 may require disconnection from each other for maintenance or for some other reason. Thus, a technician deforms the lock arm 3 an d pulls the female housing 1 to separate the housings 1, 2. Pulling forces on the female housing 1 may be interrupted and the housings 1, 2 may be left only partly connected during a separating operation. Partial connection of the housings during the separating operation cannot be detected in the conventional connectors, and connectors capable of making such a detection have been hoped for.
The present invention was developed in view of the above situation and an object thereof is to enable a partial connection detection preferably both during a connecting operation and during a separating operation.
The invention is directed to a connector with first and second connector housings that are connectable with each other. A slider is assembled into the first connector housing and is movable forward and backward substantially along connecting and separating directions of the connector housings. An engaging portion is provided in the second connector housing and is resiliently or elastically displaceable between a first position and a second position when the connector housings are connected properly. The slider comprises an operable portion for moving the slider to a position where displacement of the resilient engaging portion to the first position is permitted. The second connector housing comprises a notch into which the operable portion is slideably insertable.
The two positions of the resilient engaging portion and the easy movement of the slider permitted by the insertion of the operable portion into the notch enable detection of a partial connection of the connector housings.
The resilient engaging portion preferably is resiliently displaceable in a direction that intersects the connecting and separating directions. Thus, in a first position, the resilient engaging portion engages the slider along the connecting and separating directions. However, in a second position, the resilient engaging portion is disengaged from the slider along the connecting and separating directions.
The slider is engaged with the resilient engaging portion that is located in the first position and is moved backward and away from the second connector housing. This backward movement preferably is against a biasing force of a biasing means, and occurs both at an intermediate stage of connecting the connector housings and at an intermediate stage of separating the connector housings.
The resilient engaging portion preferably is displaced resiliently to the second position and is disengaged from the slider when the connector housings are connected properly. Thus, the slider may be moved forward by the release of the biasing force accumulated in a biasing means.
The second connector housing preferably comprises a receptacle into which the first connector housing is insertable, and the notch is provided in the receptacle. The notch preferably extends from a front end of the receptacle along connecting and separating directions of the connector housings.
The connected connector housings are separated by moving the slider back against the biasing force of the biasing means. If the separating operation is interrupted halfway, the forwardly biased slider engages the resilient engaging portion to separate the connector housings. As a result, partial connection can be detected. In this way, partial connection can be detected both during the connecting operation and during the separating operation.
The operable portion preferably is provided at the rear end of the slider, and opposite sides of the upper wall surround the operable portion. Accordingly, external objects are unlikely to interfere with the operable portion. Additionally, the operable portion can extend through the notch to outside, and can be manipulated easily from outside, e.g. by a finger, a jig, or the like.
The operable portion preferably is provided at the rear end of the slider. Additionally, the notch of the receptacle can be shorter than a case where the operable portion is at a front end position or a middle position with respect to forward and backward directions. Thus a reduction in the strength of the receptacle can be suppressed.
An accommodation space may be provided on an outer surface of the first connector housing for at least partly accommodating the slider. The biasing means also may be on an outer surface of the first connector housing, and a rear wall of the accommodation space is substantially flush with the rear end surface of the first connector housing. Accordingly, the shape of the rear end of the first connector housing can be simplified.
The operable portion preferably is guided by being in sliding contact with edges of the notch.
The invention also is directed a method for assembling a connector. The connector has at least first and second connector housings that are connectable with each other. The method comprises assembling a slider into the first connector housing such that the slider is movable along connecting and separating directions of the connector housings. The method then comprises resiliently or elastically displacing an engaging portion in the second connector housing between first and second positions when the connector housings are properly connected. An operable portion enables movement of the slider to a position where displacement of the resilient engaging portion to the first position is permitted, and the operable portion is inserted into a notch of the second connector housing while being held in sliding contact therewith.
The slider is engaged with the resilient engaging portion in the first position and is moved back both at an intermediate stage of a connecting operation and at an intermediate stage of a separating operation. When the connector housings are connected properly, the resilient engaging portion is not engageable with the slider along the connecting and separating directions. Thus, the resilient engaging portion is displaced to the second position and the slider is moved forward.
The operable portion preferably is guided by sliding contact with edges of the notch.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings. It should be understood that even though embodiments are separately described, single features thereof may be combined to additional embodiments.